Parise’s comments will only stoke speculation he will sign with the Wings. Detroit has more than $43 million invested in 17 players for next season and are expected to be major bidders for the best available UFA talents this summer.

FLAMES BUZZ BURNS BRIGHT

The Calgary Flames may have missed the Stanley Cup playoffs, but speculation over their off-season plans is keeping them in the headlines.

Most of the focus, of course, is on where right winger and team captain Jarome Iginla - who has one year remaining on his contract for $7 million - fits into the club's future.

Iginla, who will turn 35 on July 1, is not unhappy in Calgary, but he understands his playing career is winding down and his chances of winning a Stanley Cup become slimmer if the Flames decide to rebuild.

Iginla's contract contains a no-movement clause, giving him full control over whether he stays or goes and, if it were the latter, where he would go.

Kiprusoff is also a question mark, but with two years remaining on his contract the Flames have more time to determine his future than they do with Iginla. Kiprusoff's no-movement clause expires on July 1, making it easier to shop him.

The long-time Flame remains among the league's elite goaltenders and would attract considerable interest from teams in need of such a player.

He acknowledged the possibility of being traded, but on Friday told reporters he would prefer to return.

George Johnston of The Calgary Heralddoesn't buy into the conjecture over Iginla's future and doubts management would trade away Kiprusoff, suggesting it would be “a bold, bold move” for an organization that practices extreme caution.

The pair isn’t the only Flames whose future in Calgary is cloudy.

Olli Jokinen, a pending UFA center, was criticized for his poor performance during the club's final month. His agent blamed it on a mid-body injury, but there's some debate over whether it was the type of ailment that would have significantly hampered his performance.

Defensemen Scott Hannan and Cory Sarich, along with center David Moss and right winger Tom Kostopoulos, are also pending UFAs.

Rumor Roundup appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News and Kukla's Korner.